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Pilot Projects of First Malaria Vaccine

The World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) jointly recommended pilot projects to understand how to best use a vaccine that protects against malaria in young children. “The committees agreed that pilot implementations should be the next step with this vaccine,” said Prof.Fred Binka, acting chair of MPAC, WHO website reported. The vaccine, known as RTS,S (trade name Mosquirix) is the first vaccine for malaria, but there is one primary question. It requires four doses for a child to be fully protected and therefore requires additional contacts with the health care system. “The questions about how the malaria vaccine may best be delivered still need to be answered,” said Prof. Jon S. Abramson, chair of SAGE. “After detailed assessment of all the evidence we recommended that this question is best addressed by having 3-5 large pilot implementation projects.”